Seongwook Jo: "Amend the Electronic Commerce Act to Enhance Transparency of Delivery App Information"

[Asia Economy Reporter Haeyoung Kwon] Chairman Seongwook Cho of the Korea Fair Trade Commission announced that through the amendment of the Electronic Commerce Act, the transparency and fairness of information provided to consumers by online delivery platforms will be strengthened.

On the 22nd, Chairman Cho visited Baemin Academy located in Songpa-gu, Seoul, operated by Woowa Brothers, the operator of the delivery application 'Baedal-ui Minjok'. This was his first event after announcing a work plan prioritizing the establishment of fair trade order in the digital market.

He stated, "Various economic actors such as consumers, merchants, and platform workers are connected around core platforms including delivery apps, forming a single market ecosystem," and added, "This year, the Fair Trade Commission will focus its efforts on protecting consumer rights in the digital ecosystem and supporting the sustainable growth of innovative companies."

At the site visit, youth consumer Dae-hye Choi requested an active role of platforms for consumers. She pointed out cases such as ▲displaying delivery fees as free but reflecting them in food prices ▲repeatedly using specific reviews across multiple stores ▲difficulty for consumers to easily verify the origin and business registration of partner restaurants, and suggested improving the reliability of information provided on delivery platforms.

Chairman Cho expressed his intention to strengthen consumer rights through the amendment of the Electronic Commerce Act and asked Woowa Brothers to take a leading role in protecting consumer rights in the digital market. He also evaluated the recent participation of delivery platforms, including Baemin Riders, in preparing standard contracts with delivery workers and voluntarily improving existing contracts as a meaningful change for protecting the rights of platform workers.

The Fair Trade Commission plans to distribute standard contracts not only to delivery platforms but also to small local businesses connecting platforms and delivery workers in the future.

Chairman Cho said, "In the digital economy, platforms grow through continuous interaction with consumers, merchants, and platform workers, which I believe ultimately is communication between people," and added, "We will continue to actively communicate with consumers and businesses and strive to reflect voices from the field in our policies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.